Crowd Trouble Mars Olympics Football Match: Morocco Beats Argentina 2-1 in Controversial Game
In a shocking turn of events, the first football match of the Olympics was marred by crowd trouble, resulting in a nearly two-hour suspension. The game between Morocco and Argentina was eventually completed in an empty stadium, raising concerns about the safety and security measures in place.
Morocco had taken a commanding 2-0 lead against Argentina, who managed to pull one back and were pushing for an equalizer. The tension reached its peak when Cristian Medina appeared to have scored the equalizing goal in the 16th minute of injury time. However, chaos erupted as cups, bottles, and even a flare were thrown towards the celebrating Argentina players.
Several fans wearing Morocco colors invaded the pitch, leading to the referee taking the players off the field. Riot police were called in to restore order, and the fans inside the stadium were instructed to leave immediately. It was unclear whether the match had been officially finished at that point.
After a lengthy delay, it was announced that the final three minutes would be played in an empty stadium, with no fans present. Adding to the controversy, VAR ruled out Argentina’s potential equalizer, determining that a player was offside before Medina scored.
The players went off the pitch at 16:05 BST, returning for a warm-up at 17:45 before resuming the match at 18:00. The referee reviewed the disallowed goal via a pitchside monitor, confirming the decision. With neither side able to score further, Morocco emerged as the victors with a 2-1 win.
Both of Morocco’s goals were scored by Soufiane Rahimi, one just before half-time and another from a penalty early in the second half. Argentina managed to pull one back through Giuliano Simeone, son of Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone.
The result is a blow to Argentina, who have previously won the men’s Olympic football tournament in 2004 and 2008. Managed by former Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano, they will now need positive results against Iraq and Ukraine to have a chance of advancing to the quarter-finals.
The tournament organizers have released a statement, addressing the incident: “The football match between Argentina and Morocco at the Saint-Etienne Stadium was suspended due to a pitch invasion by a small number of spectators. The match then restarted and was able to conclude safely. Paris 2024 is working with the relevant stakeholders to understand the causes and identify appropriate actions.”
This incident raises serious concerns about the security measures in place for the Olympics. With the global spotlight on Paris 2024, it is imperative that steps are taken to prevent such incidents in the future. The safety of players, officials, and fans must be a top priority to ensure the smooth running of the tournament.